Ore ga Suki nano wa Imouto dakedo Imouto ja Nai

Volume 2 epilogue

"It turned out perfectly if I do sayso myself! Even my editor was surprised!"

"Ah, I’m glad for you…"

This happened after our training campin the middle of our remaining summer vacation. On a certain morning,I was at home, trying to get a few more hours of sleep as I wasconstantly sleep-deprived these past few days but all of sudden, Igot woken up by Mai who came by without an appointment.

"The unbeatable me managed toovercome my problems! Producing something with such a quality is agiven for me! You thought so as well, right? As my rival, ahaha!"

"Ah, I’m glad for you…"

Without paying attention to myhalf-hearted replies, Mai kept on telling me about her achievementsin an arrogant demeanor.

….So basically, her new manuscriptgot an OK from the editor, so she came her to inform me? I really amhappy for her but I wish she would just go home already and let mesleep a bit more….. but she looked so gleeful talking about allthat, making it really hard for me to just interrupt her.

"W-Well, I do think that because ofyour advice, the battle got a tiny bit easier though….?"

Thinking back to it, my advice turnedout to be something like [Become your character even if it killsyou!] right….Overcoming that wall of hers with only that, her skillreally is on another level.

"I’m really glad that your conditionimproved….yawn"

"W-What’s upwith you, you look so tired…were you staying up all night?"

Ever since wereturned from the training camp, I was constantly pullingall-nighters, working on my entry manuscript for the light novelcontest, you know…..?

Becomeyour protagonist while writing. Keeping that in mind, I thought thatIwould be able to achieve that for my entry novel. But it didn’t turnout like that. Just like the times when I managed to become theprotagonist of Suzuka’s novel or even Towano Chikai, I couldn’tbecome the protagonist of my own novel. Of course, it’s not like itwas a complete failure but it certainly isn’t perfect.

….Yeah, it still felt like something was missing. Comparing it towhen I became Ryou or Towano Chikai, it didn’t feel like I was notbeing myself anymore….what was that about in the end? Whatever, itstill ended up pretty good and I managed to finish it yesterday.Trying to barely keep it in time for the the deadline, I used up allof my strength.

"……YesI was. I was finishing up my manuscript….yawn"

"Seeing my rival in such a state, I feel like the day is closewhere I will be reigning over the light novel world! That must be mydestiny! One day, I will definitely surpass you!" She suddenlyannounced with a self-confident smile.

….It’s nice and all that she got her self-confidence back butrubbing that into my face this early in the morning is somehowpissing me off, alright….. Well, she was like that from the verystart.

"Never mind, you finally trust me that I am Towano Chikai and Ieven told you my secret, right? Surely, further research on me is notnecessary, right?"

That’s right. Since everything was cleared up, she must’ve lost herreason for her stalker activities, leaving me some time formyself—-

"Mhm? What are you talking about?" However, she answered me witha perplexed expression. "It’s true that I trust you and I’mgrateful that you told me your secret. But, my research is not overyet. From now on, I will be researching the person Nagami Yuu."

"….Eh? Ehhhhhhhh?! W-What’s up with that?!"

"Shouldn’t that be obvious? To exceed the individual named TowanoChikai, I have to find out everything about him! If I don’t do thatwith Yuu as well, I won’t be getting anywhere! How you came up withthe idea for a novel like that and so on….also, your interests aresill unknown to me!"

……Wait! Wait wait wait! Wait a second! Why did it end up likethis?! Just when I thought that my peaceful days would return?! A-Andwhat do you mean by interests?!

"And….one more thing….."

While I was lost in my thoughts, Mai’s cheeks were flushing and shefiddled with her hands as she continued.

"U-Uhm, once more…thank you for saving me….okay?"

"……Eh?"

"I-I’m talking about my problems….I really thought that I wouldbe done for but you saved me, which made me really happy….."

"Ah, well, yeah, no problem…."

"I-I was really happy okay?….That’s why….That’s why I….."She was keeping quiet for a short while, her face as red as a tomato,before she said "Uh….this really is embarrassing". She then putup her hand and pointed at me, saying:

"F-From now on, I will find out everything about Yuu!"

She said while striking a pose like she was declaring war.

"Why does it end up like that if you were so happy?!"

"S-Shut it! I’m doing this as a token of my gratitude! Yuu’sfavorite type of girl or something like that, I will definitely findout about that…..! A-And with that, I will become that type…!"

Justwhen I was wondering what she was whispering about, she once moreglared at me, saying "That being said, I hope you’re prepared!"Finishing her sentence, she left me standing there as she dashed off.

"W-What was that about…?" I was completely dumbfounded.

"…..Hmpf, so Himuro-san came here to thank you, I see…."

Hearing a voice behind me, I twitched and turned around. Sure enough,Suzuka was standing there while looking at the entrance.

S-Somehow, it feels like something like this keeps happening.

"S-Suzuka, were you listening…?"

"Since you were basically screaming, of course I had to. Even if Ididn’t want to." She says while she crosses her arms and turns hereyes towards me.

….Is this the usual pouting pattern?

In contrary to my thoughts, her expression turned into that of asmile and she continued.

"…..Well it’s fine. The match is already over after all. I won’tpanic from something like this."

She sighed one more time, seeming really confident.

Match? What is she talking about…? Well, she doesn’t seem to be madso it’s fine.

"Since Onii-chan admitted that he loves little sisters the most inthe world, Himuro-san’s approach won’t work no more."

"Uhm…what are you talking about?"

"L-Like I said, you stated the fact that you can’t get enough fromlittle sisters, so there is no way that you will be lulled in byHimuro-san anymore. Don’t just ask that if you already know theanswer, please."

Really, Onii-chan is Onii-chan—she said with slightly flushedcheeks but I really didn’t have any idea what she was on about….

"I love little sisters, you say…..are you talking about that timeat the training camp?"

"So you really remember it. I-It’s not like I was happy about thatbut Onii-chan declared that at that time, right? But it’s not likeI’m happy at all or anything!"

"You’re talking about my acting as Towano Chikai, aren’t you?"

"Exactly. That confession from the bottom of your heartand—acting?"

"No, like I told you, I merely adopted the personality of yournovel’s protagonist and Towano Chikai, you know?"

"…..Eh?" She seemed to be really shocked about my statement."…..Eh, uhm….I don’t really get what you mean…."

"I don’t really get what you don’t understand, though…?"

"T-That you treasure little sisters the most in the world and whenyou pat my head?"

"Ahh, that was when I became Ryou alright."

"Y-You even hugged me and k-k-k-kissed me on the forehead!"

"That’s the same….It’s really embarrassing so don’t make meremember that if you would….."

"S-So when you said that you love little sisters….?!"

"That was when I assumed the personality of Towano Chikai. Iwouldn’t say these things if I was myself, you know?"

"……Eh?……Eh?!!?"

"Why are you asking about that after all that time? I told you thatat that time already, right? That I was acting as a character."

"I didn’t hear anything like that!"

"No, you should’ve! You were going like "Funya Funya" though!"

"What?! Then that confession…..!" She took a step back, seeminggreatly shocked because of my words.

I didn’t know why she was so astonished about them but I suddenlyremembered.

She…don’t tell me….

"Don’t tell me, you’re not thinking that these were my truewords….right?"

"So you are saying that they were not your true feelings?!"

"Of course I am! As if I could’ve done all these things withoutbecoming a siscon or little sister lover?! I don’t have a fetish likethat!"

Listening to my words, her shoulders dropped in an instant and ablack aura was building up around her.

…..So she really misunderstood? That means at that time, she reallywasn’t listening to me!

"Acting….T-That confession of love…."

"You seem to be having some sort of misunderstanding but I reallydon’t love little sisters. I have a real-life one after all. I willact like it when I’m in my stand-in character though."

I tried to explain myself but for some reason, she doesn’t answer meat all. Instead, her shoulders were trembling and she had a veryfishy laugh, going "Fu fu fu fu"

….Somehow, she looks really scary right now, though?!

"Fufufu, is that so…. For crying out loud, Onii-chan….alwaysgetting my hopes up, only for it to end like this….Fufufufu"

"U-Uhm, Suzuka-san?!"

"Onii-chan!"

"Yes?!"

Being suddenly glared at, my back straightened and I couldn’t move asingle muscle anymore.

"It seems like Onii-chan still hasn’t managed to completely becomeTowano Chiki after all!"

"Eeeeh?! W-Why?! Even Mai was satisfied!"

"No, she won’t be satisfied for long if you keep your acting onthis half-baked level! You have to be Towano Chikai 24/7 or it willbe no good! Why don’t you understand that!"

"Of course I wouldn’t?! And calm down already! You’re acting reallyweird!"

"That being said, Onii-chan! We’re going on a date right now! Thiswill be an intensive training, okay?!"

"No, listen to me! I also want to get some more sleep to recoverfrom my all-nighters these past few days!"

"If it’s Onii-chan, you will surely be fine! I believe in you….."

"Don’t make it sound so nice! It’s really not like that and I amwell aware of it!"

Is this some sort of hallucination I’m seeing because I’m lackingsome sleep?! I don’t know. I really don’t know but I’m fairly certainof one thing.

….That is, that my suffering from the summer vacation is still faraway from over!!!